Zion Monday Prayer Journal!

Well, we come to the last video blog for our Prayer Journal.  I hope it's been helpful to you for broadening and deepening your prayer life during this Season of Lent.  Today I share with you about praying through both of your hands!  You might want to have a piece of paper to write down what to pray for with each finger and thumb!

And on Monday, April 5, we begin Take Ten with John - ten minutes each day for 40 days - 5 days a week - from Monday, April 5 through Friday, May 28.  It's a wonderful Gospel and it will be great to spend that time with you.

Thanks for taking part in this Prayer Journal!  I hope it's been a blessing.  Here's the video:

I've always loved this song and it seems to be a good one to share as we look forward to Easter!

Zion Friday Prayer Journal!

Today let's talk a bit about temptations and how to overcome them. Temptations are what lead us away from doing what we know we should, and saying what we know we should say. Temptations are something we often don't pray about because we don't want to name them, and yet, when we pray about temptations it helps us overcome them.

So listen in!

And since it's Palm Sunday this Sunday where we'll be singing Hallelujah, here's a beautiful Easter Hallelujah. Enjoy!

Zion Monday Prayer Journal!

Welcome to our Monday Prayer Journal time! Today we're looking at the second part of the prodigal son story, where he "came to himself" or came to his senses, and realized that he's better off at home than where he had been. And that's the way it is with us and God sometimes, when we pray, but we don't really feel connected with God, or when we've been on a God-hiatus, and feel we need to get back. Prayer is what brings us back to God. That's why we've been looking at praying the Promises of God for these last days, to bring us back home to God!

And here's a great version of Softly and Tenderly Jesus is calling....Come Home!

Zion Friday Prayer Journal!

We're looking through some of the many Promises of God these days - some of the 7,000 promises of God in the Bible! Part of the reason we're doing that is to immerse ourselves in those promises, because it's often easy to forget all the things that God promises us, and we tend to wander away. We think our way is better, or maybe even that we know more about what's best for us. But, as in the story of the Prodigal Son, it's always best to come back to God. So, listen in to our Friday Prayer Journal video, and think about getting back to God!

And here's a song by Reba McEntire called Back to God. It's beautifully filmed, and I hope you like it!

Zion Monday Prayer Journal!

Greetings for our Monday prayer focus! Today we continue that prayer that has come to be known as the Serenity Prayer. Remember that Reinhold Niebuhr was an American theologian and pastor and professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York for more than 30 years. In 1943 he ended one of this sermons with a prayer that went this way:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time. Enjoying one moment at a time. 

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace. 

Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it,

Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will, That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen.

So what might that all mean for us? Listen in!

And I used this song a couple months ago but if you missed it, I think you'll enjoy listening to "One Day at a Time!"

 Friday Zion Prayer Journal!

Today let's talk about peace.  Peace after praying.  Peace in your heart and mind.  You know, if you pray, and then hold anxiety and worry about what you just prayed about in your heart, you just know you won't have peace!  Peace after prayer comes from three decisions - three choices you have to make.  First, accept what cannot be changed.  Second, trust in God's loving care.  And third, surrender to God's loving control.

Listen in to hear more!

I surrender all.  It's an important concept, and it's an awesome song, so sing along!

 Zion Monday Prayer Journal!

On Friday we started talking about the "everything happens for a reason" concept and I told you we'd talk about two things to consider instead of that.  So here are those two things!  Listen in:

And here's a song I hope you'll enjoy - Hallelujah, by the One Voice Children's Choir!